For 1, right now it is still fairly easy to buy "identities" from black market to use with Chinese Internet services. With the so-called "4-piece set" (national ID card, SIM card, debit card linked to a bank account, U-shield (hardware 2FA key for online banking)), one can set up WeChat/Alipay to collect payments without revealing their true identity.
And those "4-piece sets" are not faked ones. People purchase those from slumdogs who woud like some extra cash and don't know or don't care what happens if their identities are used in criminal activities.
But with 2-5... It's possible that those dumb crooks were too dumb to consider that much and just used an WeChat account registered under their own name.
You can buy identities alright, the real challenge is how to cash out the money. The account will likely be locked upon investigation, if not, the moment whoever cash it over the ATM or counter will be arrested on site.
Scammers often hire innocent agent cash out these accounts. But still with very low success rate.
Well, too late to know for that guy, he's already been arrested[0]. Guys on Solidot[1] digged out many interesting things, including one issue he posted on one of he's own GitHub repo saying "Help! How can I delete this repo, I have to run!".
LOL
BUT, I almost feel pity for him. Take look the picture of him on the news[0], look the environment he's living in and how thin he is, pretty rough life I'd say.
I hope hes doing well in prison and become a better man after this. If he can write a virus capable of doing all that, then I think he will also doing well in most companies that does web related works.
And those "4-piece sets" are not faked ones. People purchase those from slumdogs who woud like some extra cash and don't know or don't care what happens if their identities are used in criminal activities.
But with 2-5... It's possible that those dumb crooks were too dumb to consider that much and just used an WeChat account registered under their own name.